Tillerson talks Russia with members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee

Former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met with a handful of House members and staffers for seven hours Tuesday to discuss President Donald Trump's foreign policy decision-making, including on issues related to Russia.

Tillerson served roughly a year as America's chief diplomat before the president fired him in March 2018. Still, he had a hand in several major policy matters, including how to deal with challenges from North Korea and Iran.

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A congressional aide confirmed that Tillerson met with New York Rep. Eliot Engel, the Democratic chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Texas Rep. Mike McCaul, the panel’s top Republican. House staffers also joined the conversations.

The talks, which were first reported by The Daily Beast, covered "a wide range of topics including Russia and the foreign policy decision-making in the administration," the aide said.

The aide described the gathering as an interview of Tillerson, adding that the former secretary of State reached out to the committee and volunteered for a sit-down after learning members were interested in talking to him.

It was unclear whether the discussions touched at all on the topic of Russia's suspected support of Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of those allegations.

Tillerson, who previously served as the chief executive of ExxonMobil, was not part of the 2016 Trump campaign. He was tapped for Foggy Bottom midway through the transition period.

But he may have insight into how Trump dealt with Russia once he took office. The U.S. president has been criticized for his efforts to curry favor with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tillerson's quiet session with the House members. But generally speaking, Trump has tried to block congressional efforts to talk to or get testimony from his current and former aides.

Trump fired Tillerson after the two clashed on several fronts, including on how to handle the Iran nuclear deal, which Trump abandoned despite reservations from Tillerson. Tillerson is reported to have once called Trump a “moron” behind his back.

Since leaving the State Department, Tillerson has largely avoided the spotlight. But in one appearance, he said Trump had at times wanted to take actions that Tillerson had to explain to him were against the law.

Tillerson was a deeply unpopular figure at the State Department, and many diplomats felt he was too isolated and unwilling to listen to their advice.